The Curses (Deut. 27:14-26)

7/3/2009 5:16 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  The curses

 

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Deuteronomy 27:14-26

 

            Message of the verses:  “14  "The Levites shall then answer and say to all the men of Israel with a loud voice, 15  ‘Cursed is the man who makes an idol or a molten image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’ 16  ‘Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 17  ‘Cursed is he who moves his neighbor’s boundary mark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 18  ‘Cursed is he who misleads a blind person on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 19  ‘Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 20  ‘Cursed is he who lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s skirt.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 21  ‘Cursed is he who lies with any animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 22  ‘Cursed is he who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 23  ‘Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 24  ‘Cursed is he who strikes his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 25  ‘Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to strike down an innocent person.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ 26  ‘Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”

            In this section of Scripture there are twelve curses described and many of them go right along with the Ten Commandments.  At the end of each curse the word “Amen” is said by the people which means “so be it.”  In saying this the children of Israel were saying that they were agreeing to keep theses eleven laws given here and in the twelfth they were saying that they would keep all of God’s laws, something that no one did with the exception of Jesus Christ who did not sin nor could not sin, and who kept the perfect law of God for all mankind, especially those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. 

            In Warren Wiersbe’s commentary or “Be Book,” “Be Equipped” he writes about one of the reasons that the Law was given to the children of Israel and to all of the world.  To be sure the Law shows the righteousness of God, but it was not given for the purpose of salvation.  “—the purpose of the law was not salvation but condemnation, the indictment of  all people as sinners, and therefore the need of all people to trust Christ, ‘for the just shall live by faith’ (Gal. 3:11).  There can be no true conversion without conviction, and conviction comes when we see the holiness of God in His law and the sinfulness of our own hearts.  To say that we’ve kept some of God’s laws doesn’t excuse us, for to break of is to break them all (James 2:10-11).  If your were hanging over a chasm holding to a chain of ten links, how many links would have to break for you to fall?”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Those sexual sins were the most convicting to me as they probably were to most men who read them.  Realizing that I cannot keep these laws is good in a way for then I am convicted as a sinner and the only thing that I can do is to trust the Lord Jesus Christ who kept all of these laws on my behalf to be my Savior and my Lord.  The Holy Spirit was given to me at my conversion to convict me of sin in order to confess it to the Lord as 1 John 1:9 speaks of:  “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  By the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit in my life I will live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.
2. Put on the Spiritual Armor:  the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.
3. Learn contentment.
4. Keep a short list with the Lord.
5. Trust the Lord to guide my path today and to stay on that path.

 

Memory verses for the week:                                  Ephesians 3:16-19

 

16.  that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,

17.  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18.  may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and dept,

19.  and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. 

 

7/3/2009 5:57 AM